Shipper carton and package



Dec. 22, 1964 Filed Aug. l0, 1962 C. L. CHAMPLIN ETAL SHIPPEIR CARTONAND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS` www@ K ATTORNEY DeC- 22, 1964 c.cHAMPLlN ETAL 3,162,302

SHIPPER CARTON AND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. lO, 1962 ATTORNEYDec 22,1964 c. l.. CHAMPLIN ETAL 3,162,302

SHIPPER CARTONAND PACKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. l0, 1962 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Oiee 3,162,302 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,302SHIPPER CARTON AND PACKAGE Charles L. Champlin, Rittmau, and Robert J.Hickin, Seville, Ohio, assignors to Packaging Corporation of America,Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 10, 1962, Ser. No.216,130 Claims. (Cl. 206--46) This invention relates to a shippercarton, the package formed therewith, and the method of producing suchpackage.

Although the carton and package of the invention may be employed in thepackaging of a variety of articles, particularly those of a relativelyfragile nature, it has special utility in the packaging of books forindividual shipment by mail and is designed primarily for this purpose.Hence, in the present disclosure the adaptation of the invention to thisspecial purpose will be stressed, but the invention is not to beconsidered as thus limited thereto.

The annual shipment of books by mail, individually, from publishers tosubscribers, or readers, for example by the so-called book clubs, runsinto the hundreds of millions, and it is essential that, despite therelatively rough handling to which they are subjected in shipment,usually by parcel post, they reach the consignees in undamagedcondition. To this end, the publisher-consignor must so package lthebooks for individual shipment that, in transit, despite such roughhandling, their bindings will be in good condition, secure, withundamaged corners on the covers, and free of abrasions, and with dustcovers similarly intact, whereby, upon receipt and inspection by theconsignee, they will be unmarred, of good appearance and acceptable tothe consignee.

In book shippers now being used, protection of the books is to someextent achieved by two general packaging methods. In one such method thematerial of which the shipper is made is of such inherent stiffness thatit can absorb the abuse incident to rough handling. Shippers made fromcorrugated board, or from paperboard of very high quality and caliper,are in this category. The other such method is to form the shipper frompaperboard of a lesser strength but to provide it with false ends whichserve to cushion the book against impact. Shippers falling in these twomethod categories are expensive to produce, for reasons which will bemore or less apparent to the carton manufacturer, and their cost to thepackager will therefore be relatively high. Moreover, the adaptation ofpackaging lines to their use is apt to involve considerable expense.

Having the foregoing in mind, one object of the present invention is toprovide a shipper carton which, while providing adequate protection forthe article packaged therein, may be made from relatively inexpensivesheet material such as paperboard of medium quality and caliper.

Another object is to provide a shipper carton of common seal end typebut so proportioned with relation to the size of the packaged article,and providing such relative support for the article within it, that thearticle is protected against rough handling of the package.

A further object is to provide a shipper carton which, instead ofdepending for protection of the packaged article upon such stiffness andshock-resistance of the carton as to prevent its undue collapse ordistortion, relies upon a controlled collapse or distortion of thecarton to inhibit such deformation as might be injurious to the packagedarticle.

Another object of the invention is -to provide means defining a readilyaccessible and easily operated tear strip or frangible portion in a wallof the shipper carton by means of which ready access to the contents maybe obtained.

A still further, and primary, object of the invention is to provide ashipper carton for a book, in which the book 4is supported within thecarton in spaced relation to two opposite walls thereof and is thusprotected against damage upon partial collapse of such walls, or eitherof them.

Another object is to provide a shipper carton responsive to any, or all,of the foregoing objects, which is adapted for use in a packagingoperation conducted on a mechanical line of any of a variety of knowntypes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as thedisclosure proceeds.

Having reference particularly to its embodiment in a shipper carton andpackage for a book, for which it is especially adapted, but withoutlimiting it thereto, the invention comprises a carton adapted to receivea book, a wrapper member preferably in the form of a sling-like cradleband passed about and embracing said book but free of any directconnection therewith, two opposite walls of said carton being in contactwith said band and at least one of said walls being secured to saidband, and two other opposite walls of the carton being remote from saidbook in the direction in which the band is passed to thus provide spacesbetween said last named walls and the book, and other wall meansserv-ing with said specifically named walls to enclose lthe book withinthe carton, said book being restrained by said band against movementwithin the carton in the direction in which said band is passed to thuspreserve said spaces to accommodate partial collapse of the carton wallsproximate to adjacent surfaces of 4the book; and the inventioncomprises, also, means provided in said proximate carton walls topredene their said partial collapse, and means defining in at least onecarton wall a tear strip affording access to said book; and theinvention comprises, further, a method of producing said shipperpackage, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finallyclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated,

FIG. 1 is an outside face view of one preferred form or carton blank forthe practice of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an inside face view of the blank of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wrapper member or slinglike cradle bandprior to its functional association with the packaged article or book,

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the blank of FIG. l reversed edge-for-edge andflat-folded on its first assembly fold,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the blank completelyflat-folded and glued,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the squared-up carton of FIGS. l, 2, 4and 5,

FIGS. 7 to l2 depict the method of assembling a book within the cartonto produce the shipper package of the invention; FIG. 7 showing partialapplication of the wrapper member or sling-like cradle band to the book;FIG. 8 showing, compositely, the book with cradle band fully applied,and adhesively treated, being advanced for insertion into the open endof the squared-up carton; FIG. 9 showing the book with its cradle bandpartially inserted into the carton; FIG. 10 showing the carton afterinsertion of the book with its cradle band and with the short endclosure flaps folded in; FIG. 11 showing the completely closed andsealed shipper carton package, and FIG. 12 showing the opposite narrowside of the package from that shown in FIGS. 8 to 1l,

FIG. 13 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the package,taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 14,

FIG. 14 is a further enlarged transverse sectional ele- 3 vation of thepackage, taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13,

FIGS. 15 to 19 are views similar to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 but showinganother preferred form of carton blank,

FIG. 2O is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the finger hold meansof the tear strip, and

FIG. 2l is a perspective View illustrating the predetermined control ofpartial collapse at one end of the carton.

It will be understood that the types of cartons shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4,5, 6 and 15 to 19, respectively, are merely representative, as manyother types could be used in practicing the invention, especially inreference to the particular articles to be packaged.

However, in respect to the packaging of books, the types of cartons thusrepresented lend themselves with especial facility to the practice ofthe invention.

Thus, having reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, it will be seen that thecarton blank therein shown has broad side walls a and b, an intermediatenarrow side wall c, and two complemental flap members d and e at thefree edges of the broad side walls a and b, respectively, which saidflaps, when superposed and glued together (FIGS. 5 and 6), form a narrowside wall e complemental to the narrow side w'all c.

The broad side walls a and b, the narrow side Wall c, and the flapmembers d and e, are provided at their opposite ends, respectively, withend closure aps a', a"; b', b, c', c, d', d, and e', e, and all of theSaid parts of the blank are defined from each other by appropriatefolding scores, as indicated, some of which will be specicallyidentified hereinafter.

As shown particularly in FIG. 2, the inner face of the narrow side wallc is provided with a tear tape 1 i and Push and Lift tabs 2 and 3,respectively, parted by a transverse through cut 4, see FIGS. 2 and 20,to furnish a rip strip by which access may be had to the ultimatelyformed package.A l g The narrow side wall c iis provided adjacent to itsends with bending or break-control scores 5 for a pur= pose later to bedescribed, and bending or breakcon`trol scores 6, 7, 8 and 9, for asimilar purpose, are provided in the flap members d and e, andin thebroad side Wall end closure aps a', a and b', b, respectively.

In the at=foldirrg and gluingl of the blank, the broad side wall d, withits attached flap member d is folded on the folding seore 10 over andflat against the narrow side wall c and broad-side wall b, FIG. 4, andthen, with adhesive applied to the flap member e, or to the flap memberd, as indicated by the stippling, FIG. 4, the flap member e is folded,on its folding score 11, over, and aixed to, the flap member d (FIG. 5).The carton is squared up in the usual manner, FIG. 6, by applyingpressure to the folded edges defined by the folding scores 10 and 11,which causes it to open up upon these scores and upon the folding scores12 and 13.

Having reference to FIGS. 3 and 7, it will be seen that the wrappermember or sling-like cradle band 14 is preferably a strip of strongpaper, such as kraft paper, and is passed about the book B on the longdimension thereof, parallel to, but spaced from, the open edge and backof the book, and secured in relatively tight embracing relation to thebook by joining the overlapping ends of the band in a glue joint 15(FIG. 8). The adhesive for this glue joint is preferably spotted on oneof the overlapping ends of the band, as indicated at 16, FIG. 7, inorder to guard against its seeping over the edges of the band and ontothe cover of the book, but other modes of application of the adhesivemay be resorted to so long as the adhesive is thus confined to the areaof the band. A

As thus applied, it will be apparent that the band 14 is not affixed tothe book but merely embraces it with a relatively tight slip t.

With adhesive applied to the upper and lower faces of the band 14,either in stripe form, as indicated by stippling at 17 in FIGS. 8, 9, 13and 14, or otherwise appropriately, but in no event upon any part of thebook, the book is inserted into the open end of the squared-up carton,the broad end closure aps of which are preferably ared, or funneled, out(FIG. 9) to avoid cont-act with the adhesive 17, and is centeredlongitudinally of the carton (FIG. 13). Thus, inasmuch as the carton isintentionally longer than the long dimension of the book, spaces orvoids will be left at both ends of the book, and adhesion of theadhesive 17 to the broad side walls a and b of the carton, which may beinsured by pressure applied to these Walls to hold them against the bandduring setting of the adhesive, will establish the band as a sling-likecradle which serves to restrain the book against movement longitudinallyof the carton, thus establishing maintenance of its location in spacedrelation to the carton end walls.

Preferably, the inner transverse dimensions of the carton -are such asto furnish an easy slip iit for the book, as indicated in FIG. 14.Hence, the book is confined against any movement within the carton whichwould result in bending of the corners of the covers of the binding andof scufling or abrasion of the covers and back of such binding.

After the book is thus located Within the carton, the

are closed in and affixed by adhesive applied, preferably,.

to the outer faces of the flaps c', c and e', e", and to the inner facesof the aps a', a. Thus, none of the faces of the end closure flaps whichare exposed within the carton have any application of adhesive thereon.

It will be noted that, as shown particularly in FIGS. 8, 9, 13 and 14,the book B is inserted into the carton with its open edge B and its backB in juxtaposition, respec-` tively, to the narrow side walls c and e,and this disposition is preferred for the reason that the channel at theopen edge B of the book provides a space between the page edges and thetear tape 1 which makes for ease in depression and lifting of the tabs 2and 3 for operation of the tape 1 in removing the rip strip to gainIaccess to the book and its removal from the carton simply by sliding itout of the cradle provided by the sling-like band 14, it being againnoted, here, that this band is preferably of less width than the coverof the book, thereby affording room for a grip upon the covers in thusremoving the book.

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, packages in transit, particularly byparcel post, are rather carelessly and. roughly handled, and damage totheir contents often results. In the case of relatively fragilearticles, and of books in particular, for the individual packaging formailing of which the shipper carton and package of this inven tion isespecially well adapted, the damage usually results from shifting of thearticle within the container or carton, or from crushing or bending ofthe walls of ther container or carton, particularly at its ends andcorners` In the case of books, their shifting usually results inyabrasive defacement of their bindings or dust covers; and' crushing orbending, particularly at the ends and corners. of the containers orcartons, results in more or less extensive physical damage to thebindings, particularly to the corners of the cover boards.

In the package of the present invention the spaces provided between theend Walls ofthe carton and the ends of the article, a book inparticular, the provision of the sling-like cradle band 14, and therelatively close slip lit of the broad and narrow side Walls a, b and c,e, respectively, taken with the bending or break-control scores 5 to 9,the functioning of which will next be described, serve to preclude suchinjury, and this has been demonstrated in cases of actual mailing, byparcel post, for long distances, of books in shipper cartons embodyingthe principles of the invention, with no special handling and hencesubject to the usual hazards of such mailing.

As illustrated in FIG. 21, where one end of the carton is shown crushed,it will be noted that, controlled by the bending or break-control scores5, 6 and 7, the bending of the crushed narrow side walls c and e hasbeen directed outwardly, :and away from the corners and back of the bookbinding, while to a slight extent collapse of the broad side walls a andb is directed inwardly but not to an extent suicient to injure thebinding, it being apparent that this controlled crushing of the broadand narrow side walls serves to provide a cushion at the crushed end ofthe carton due to the thus assumed bellows-like disposition of portionsof the walls and the inherently relatively springy nature of the cartonmaterial. Furthermore, the fixed location of the book longitudinally ofthe broad side walls a Yand b by the sling-like cradle band 14, and thethus provided insurance of retention of thespaces within the carton atthe ends of the book, taken in combination with the functioning of thebending or break-control scores 5, 6 and 7, serves to confine thecrushing of the carton to zones not directly in contact with the book.

The crushing of the carton depicted in FIG. 21 is such as would result,primarily, from a force, such as that incident to dropping of thepackage, applied relatively squarely to the end thereof. If, however,the force were #applied only to a corner, that corner would partiallycollapse outwardly upon the score 5 or 6-7 depending upon the narrowside wall involved, and bending of the end wall yadjacent to such cornerwould be accommodated to this crushing on the scores 8 and 9 at therespective end of the carton.

The form of a carton blank illustrated in FIGS. l5 to 19 embodies all ofthe essential structural and functional features of that shown in FIGS.1, 2 and 4 to 14, and similar reference characters have been appliedthereto where applicable. However, as shown, the narrow side walls c ande are both of single thickness and are joined to opposite edges of thebroad side wall a, and the opposite broad side wall is formed of Itwomating sections b1 and b2 overlapped and joined in a glued seam 18 asindicated in FIGS. 17 to 19.

In some packages the single thickness thus provided in the narrow sidewalls c and e may serve to enhance the functioning of the bending andbreak-control scores 5 and 6, and the glued, double-thickness seam 18serves to impart additional longitudinal rigidity to the carton.

Various changes, including, and in addition to, those specificallyreferred to, are considered to be within the principle of the inventionand the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A shipper package including a multi-walled carton, a book, and awrapper member for embracing the book in a direction substantiallyparallel to the bound edge thereof, said carton having fourinterconnected side walls arranged to form a sleeve relatively snuglyencompassing the wrapper-embraced book in a direction tranverse to thebook bound edge, the Wrapper member of the wrapper-embraced book beingadapted to be ailixed to at least one of said side walls, and end wallsfor said carton serving to close the ends of the sleeve and disposed inspaced relation with respect to the wrapper-embraced book encompassed bysaid side Walls.

2. A shipper package as defined in claim l, in which certain portions ofthe carton side walls adjacent to said end walls are provided with meansfor effecting controlled bending of such wall portions in the event ofapplication of predetermined external forces to said carton.

3. A shipper package as defined in claim 1, in which the four side wallscomprise two broad side walls and two narrow side walls disposedconventionally in spaced pairs, and the wrapper member is of band-likeconfiguration for affxture to at least one of said broad side Walls.

4. A shipper package as defined in claim 3, in which said narrow sidewalls are provided adjacent to said end Walls with means for effectingcontrolled bending of the end walls and portions of said narrow sidewalls adjacent to said end walls in the event of application ofpredetermined external forces to said carton.

5. A shipper package as defined in claim 4, and including in said endWalls, adjacent to the juncture thereof with said narrow side walls,means for effecting the controlled bending of said end walls.

6. A shipper package as defined in claim 3, in which one of said narrowside walls is provided with means defining a rip strip; said one narrowside wall being disposed adjacent to the edge of the accommodated bookopposite the bound edge of said book.

7. A shipper package as defined in claim 6, in which the means definingthe rip strip includes finger-grip means.

8. In a shipper package, a book, and a carton enclosing said book, saidcarton having four side walls arranged in conventional pairs to form asleeve relatively snugly embracing said book in a direction transverseto the bound edge thereof, said side walls being longer than the boundedge of said book, a pair of end walls serving to close the ends of saidsleeve, and a sling-like cradle band embracing said book in a directionsubstantially parallel to the bound edge thereof and free of anyattachment to said book other than a relatively tight embracing contacttherewith, said band being accommodated within said carton and aixed toat least one of said carton side walls and locating said bandcmbracedbook longitudinally of the carton with the ends of said book in spacedrelation with respect to the carton end walls.

9. In a shipper package as defined in claim 8, said band compirsing astrip of paper material with the ends thereof secured in overlappingrelation.

10. In a shipper package as defined in claim 8, said band being of lesswidth than the dimension of the book cover taken normal to the boundedge thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,114,623 4/28Bergstein 229-14 2,791,367 5/57 Medford 206-47 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners.

1. A SHIPPER PACKAGE INCLUDING A MULTI-WALLED CARTON, A BOOK, AND AWRAPPER MEMBER FOR EMBRACING THE BOOK IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL TO THE BOUND EDGE THEREOF, SAID CARTON HAVING FOURINTERCONNECTED SIDE WALLS ARRANGED TO FORM A SLEEVE RELATIVELY SNUGLYENCOMPASSING THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK IN A DIRECTION TRANVERSE TO THEBOOK BOUND EDGE, THE WRAPPER MEMBER OF THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK BEINGADAPTED TO BE AFFIXED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, AND END WALLSFOR SAID CARTON SERVING TO CLOSE THE ENDS OF THE SLEEVE AND DISPOSED INSPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE WRAPPER-EMBRACED BOOK ENCOMPASSED BYSAID SIDE WALLS.